This Key Lime Pound Cake recipe brings a delightful twist to the classic pound cake with its sweet, moist texture and a tangy key lime glaze. Perfectly balancing sweet and tart, it’s a delicious Southern treat you’ll love!
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Quick Recipe Overview
WHAT: A classic tender pound cake infused with key lime juice and zest, finished with citrus glaze.
WHY: Buttery richness meets bright lime flavor for a perfectly balanced, crowd-pleasing dessert.
HOW: Cream butter with sugar, alternate flour and milk, add lime, then bake in a tube pan.
Jump to:
- Quick Recipe Overview
- Why You’ll Love This Key Lime Pound Cake Recipe
- Ingredient Notes
- Key Lime Pound Cake Recipe
- How to Make The Best Key Lime Pound Cake
- FAQs for Key Lime Pound Cake
- My Best Tips for Making Key Lime Pound Cake
- What to Serve With Key Lime Pound Cake
- Storage & Reheating Tips
- My Favorite Pound Cake Recipes
- More Delicious Cake Recipes to Consider
Why You’ll Love This Key Lime Pound Cake Recipe
- Simple to Make: With easy-to-find ingredients and straightforward steps, this cake is simple enough for both beginner and experienced bakers. You won’t need any special tools or techniques to create this flavorful dessert.
- Perfectly Balanced Flavors: The combination of sweet, moist cake and tangy key lime glaze offersa delicious balance of flavors in every bite. The tartness of the key lime contrasts beautifully with the richness of the pound cake.
- Quick Prep Time: With just 10 minutes of prep time, you can have this cake ready to bake in no time. The ingredients come together quickly, making it a perfect recipe for busy home bakers who want a delicious homemade dessert without spending hours in the kitchen.
- Flexible Baking Options: Love to make choices? This recipe gives you the flexibility to bake in a traditional tube pan or split between two smaller bundt pans. This means you can adjust the size based on your needs or how many people you’re serving.
🩷 Melissa
This key lime pound cake is a delightful Southern-styledessert that brings a burst of citrusy brightness to the classic pound cake. What makes this cake special is theunique combination of butter and shortening in the batter. While you might be tempted to use all butter, the mix creates a lighter texture with incredible flavor.
The cake itself has a mild key lime flavor, but the real magic happens with the tart glaze that adds a bright, zesty punch. Don’t worry if your cake looks a bit rough when it first comes out of the pan. The glaze usually transforms it into a gorgeous dessert that you will all enjoy.
Ingredient Notes
Key Lime Juice: Fresh key lime juice provides the most authentic flavor with floral, slightly bitter notes that complement the sweetness. Key limes are smaller and more aromatic than Persian limes, typically requiring 10-12 limes for ¼ cup juice. If unavailable, bottled key lime juice from the baking aisle works well and stays consistent batch to batch. Regular lime juice is an acceptable substitute with a brighter, simpler citrus profile.
Shortening: Vegetable shortening contributes to the tender crumb and extended shelf life characteristic of traditional pound cakes. It remains solid at room temperature, which helps the cake maintain its structure. Use plain shortening, not butter-flavored varieties, as they can overpower the lime.
Tube Pan: A 10-inch tube pan with a removable bottom works best for this recipe, providing even heat circulation and easy removal. The center tube ensures the thick batter bakes through completely without overbrowning the exterior. If you only have bundt pans, use two 6-cup capacity pans and reduce baking time to 50-55 minutes. Dark pans bake faster than light-colored ones, so check doneness 5 minutes earlier.
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
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Key Lime Pound Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup shortening
- 3 cups sugar
- 6 large eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- ¼ cup fresh Key lime juice
Glaze
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons fresh Key lime juice
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.3 cups all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and shortening at medium speed until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until blended.1 cup unsalted butter, ½ cup shortening, 3 cups sugar, 6 large eggs
- Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternating with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition.1 cup milk
- Mix in vanilla, lime zest, and lime juice. Pour batter into a greased and floured 10-inch (12-cup) tube pan. (I used two 6-cup bundt pans.)1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon lime zest, ¼ cup fresh Key lime juice
- Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 20 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. (Bake half size Bundts for 50–55 minutes.) Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 to 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack.
- Prepare glaze by whisking together powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons fresh Key lime juice, and ½ teaspoon vanilla until smooth. Immediately brush or drizzle over top and sides of cake. Cool completely before serving.1 ½ cups powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons fresh Key lime juice, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Video
Notes
Nutrition
How to Make The Best Key Lime Pound Cake
What makes this cake special is the unique combination of butter and shortening in the batter. While you might be tempted to use all butter, the mix creates a lighter texture with incredible flavor.
Step 1: Begin by preheating your oven to 325°F and preparing your baking pan. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients – flour, baking powder, and salt.
Pro Tip: Crisco Baking Sticks make measuring shortening a breeze!
Step 2: In a stand mixer, cream the butter and shortening until smooth, then gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated.
Step 3: Carefully alternate adding the flour mixture and milk to the butter mixture, mixing at low speed just until blended. Finally, fold in the vanilla extract, lime zest, and fresh key lime juice, creating a beautifully fragrant batter.
Step 4: Pour the cake batter into a prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Once baked, allow the cake to cool on a wire rack.
Pro Tip: When I’m using bundt cakes as gifts, I will bake it in two half-sized bundt pans instead of a 12-cup tube pan. This makes a great gift size, or for eating one now and putting one in the freezer for later.
FAQs for Key Lime Pound Cake
Yes! While key limes have a more intense, slightly more tart flavor, you can substitute regular lime juice and zest. Just use the same measurement of fresh lime juice and zest. The cake will still have a delicious citrus flavor, though it might be slightly less pronounced than with key limes.
If you don’t have shortening, you can use all butter, but the texture might be slightly denser. The original recipe uses a combination of butter and shortening to create a lighter, more tender crumb. If substituting completely with butter, use 1½ cups of unsalted butter instead of 1 cup butter and ½ cup shortening.
Overbaking is the most common culprit. Start checking at 1 hour 10 minutes. Also ensure butter and eggs are room temperature—cold ingredients don’t incorporate well and create denser texture.
My Best Tips for Making Key Lime Pound Cake
☞ Don’t Overmix the Batter: Mix the ingredients just until combined to avoid a dense or tough cake. Overmixing can develop too much gluten in the flour.
☞ Use Room Temperature Ingredients: Ensure your butter, eggs, and cream are at room temperature before starting. This helps the batter blend smoothly and creates a tender texture.
☞ Let the Cake Cool Before Glazing: Allow the cake to cool completelybefore pouring on the glaze. A warm cake can cause the glaze to run off instead of setting nicely.
☞ Enhance the Glaze: Add a pinch of lime zest to the glaze for an extra burst of citrus flavor and a decorative touch.
What to Serve With Key Lime Pound Cake
Stunning served simply with whipped cream and a lime slice. The whipped cream balances the sweetness while lime hints at the citrus inside. Fresh berries—blueberries, raspberries, or strawberries—complement the lime beautifully. I also love pairing it with vanilla ice cream or lime sorbet. Perfect with coffee or tea for afternoon gatherings, or serve with coconut ice cream and toasted coconut for tropical parties.
Storage & Reheating Tips
Room Temperature
Store the cooled, glazed cake covered at room temperature for up to 4 days. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap or place in an airtight container to prevent drying. The combination of butter and shortening keeps the crumb moist for several days without refrigeration.
Refrigerator Storage
For longer storage, refrigerate the wrapped cake for up to 1 week. Bring slices to room temperature before serving for the best texture and flavor, or warm briefly in the microwave for 10-15 seconds. Cold cake is still delicious but won’t have the same tender mouthfeel as room temperature cake.
Freezer Storage
Wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. For best results, freeze without the glaze and make fresh glaze when ready to serve. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature for 3-4 hours. Individual slices can be wrapped and frozen separately for easy portion control.
Make Ahead
Bake the cake up to 2 days in advance and store at room temperature. Apply the glaze the day of serving for the freshest presentation, though pre-glazed cake tastes excellent too. The flavors actually improve after a day as the lime notes develop and meld with the buttery cake. This is an ideal make-ahead dessert for entertaining.
My Favorite Pound Cake Recipes
- Cinnamon Coffee Cake-A moist, buttery cake with a delicious cinnamon-sugar swirl and crumbly streusel topping. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or as a sweet treat with coffee.
- Strawberry Pound Cake-A fruity twist on the classic pound cake, made with fresh strawberries for a burst of flavor and a pretty pink hue. It’s light, moist, and ideal for spring or summer.
- Healthier Chocolate Pound Cake From A Mix-A quick and easy chocolate pound cake recipe made lighter by using substitutions like yogurt or applesauce, yet still rich, moist, and chocolaty.
- The Best Ever Coconut Bundt Cake-A fluffy, tender bundt cake infused with coconut flavor and topped with a creamy coconut glaze. It’s a tropical delight that’s perfect for coconut lovers!
More Delicious Cake Recipes to Consider
Did you try this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ rating below and share it on Instagram.
Donna
I’ve not made this yet, but was wondering if I could substitute bottled Nelli & Joe’s bottled key lime juice instead of fresh lime juice? Thank you!
Melissa Griffiths
Should work just fine!
Janet
I want to make 1 large cake – I have both a bundt and a tube pan, which one should I use? Thank you!
ruth Green
I have made this cake at least 10 times and it always falls about an inch while cooling. I bake pound cakes all the time and they never fall just this one. I follow the recipe exactly every time, and have checked the temp of my oven and everything checks out. What am I doing wrong?
Nancy Stewart
Excellent cake, used buttermilk instead of milk. Good texture. Loved the icing.
Barbara Schieving
THanks Nancy! Sounds like a great way to change it up.
Kelly
Credit & much respect given to you for acknowledging this recipe is from Southern Living and not your own creation.
It irritates me when somebody posts a recipe and claims it’s their own creation. I’ve just come across this same recipe, word for word, and she claims it’s her own recipe. 😠 Why do that? Give credit where it’s due.
I’m making this cake AND your coconut and lime cake this weekend for a fundraiser for our local animal rescues.
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Kelly – how nice to make them for a wonderful cause.
Gloria
Can I use lime juice ?
Barbara Schieving
Hi Gloria – I prefer using half lemon juice and half lime juice if I don’t have key limes. Enjoy!
Beverly Villarreal
I just made your cake as written. No problems, except the glaze did not turn out white as I expected it to. What did I do wrong?
Barbara Schieving
Hi Beverly – did you add more vanilla? You can get clear vanilla for a whiter color. Was you glaze a little too thin and needed more powdered sugar?
Audrey
I was thinking of baking this cake with gluten free flour and in wedding cake pans, would this work?
Barbara Schieving
Hi Audrey – I’m sorry I don’t have any experience baking it with gluten free flour in round pans. I assume if you use a gluten free flour mix that is specifically made for baking it would work well. Let me know if you try it how it goes.
Kathy Ziegler Chalhoub
Should the cake cool before icing?
Carole
I made the Key Lime Pound cake it came out
Beautiful soft and fluffy inside.. I can’t wait to
Share it tomorrow with my friends
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Carole! It’s always a hit with my friends. I’m sure it will be with yours too.
Delilah
I have made this cake so many times and everyone loves it and asks for the recipe. The next time I make it which will be in a couple of days I would like to use lemon juice and lemon zest. Do you think the cake will be as good as it is when using lime juice?
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Delilah! So nice to hear you love the recipe and have made it many times. Yes, I think it would be delicious with lemon juice and lemon zest as well. Let me know after you make it which version you like better.
Karen
I am anxious to try your Key Lime Pound Cake recipe.
My question is, did you use butter flavored Crisco or plain?
Barbara Schieving
Hi Karen – I always use butter-flavored Crisco. Enjoy!
Donna
I like the finished cake but the taste of lime is too timid for me
Barbara Schieving
Glad you enjoyed the cake. You can add more lime zest for a stronger lime flavor.
Juanita Hurt
I made this cake tonight. Our substituted fresh orange juice and orange zest. Also I used the juice and zest in the icing. My cake turned out wonderful. Thank you for the recipe!
Barbara Schieving
What a delicious way to change it up. Thanks for sharing Juanita!
Sonia
1. I’m lactose intolerant, so I’m wondering will Lactaid milk or almond milk work.
2. Is there anyway to alleviate the shortening. I can’t imagine cooking with it, have in 20yrs
Sonia
Typo. I have not cooked with or bought shortening in over 20yrs
Tiffany
I use a parkay/blue bonnet-like stick in all my pound cakes in place of shortening.
Barbara Schieving
Hi Sonia – I haven’t tried it, but you should be able to sub all butter and either Lactaid or almond milk with no other changes. Enjoy!
Carolyn Miller
I would need to make it gluten free. Can you help me?
Barbara Schieving
Hi Carolyn – you should be able to substitute a gluten-free flour mix for the flour. Here’s a good article about which ones to choose https://www.thekitchn.com/best-gluten-free-flours-261891
Deborah
I made this today. Followed the instructions as written. It was delightful. My family loved it and even my daughter who said she isn’t a fan of Key Lime at two slices! I topped it with whipped cream and fresh raspberries. I will definitely make it again. Thanks for the recipe!
Barbara Schieving
What a delicious way to serve it. Glad it was a hit. Thanks Deborah!
Tamara Folsom
Hi. Can I use cake flour with same measurements? Also, will using a 1/3 c of lime juice make cake to wet and too tangy?
Barbara Schieving
Hi Tamara – you’ll need to use more cake flour – here’s conversion info https://www.cookinglight.com/cooking-101/essential-ingredients/all-purpose-flour-vs-cake-flour-whats-the-difference I don’t think using 1/3 cup lime juice will make a significant difference.
Khrisna Morgan
I made this for my boyfriend cause I don’t wanna make key lime pie and it did not disappoint. It was moist and delicious i always add a little more key lime shavings to the recipe to give it that extra taste and I like sprinkling the key lime shavings on top. I had two pieces of cake out for me and my Boyfriend and I looked over he ate both of them so i recently just made another one lol
Barbara Schieving
Hi Khrisna – I love that he ate both pieces lol. I guess that says it all. Thanks for sharing your tweaks and the fun story.
Delilah
I first made this cake about a year ago for a neighborhood party and won 1st place. Now it is requested anytime zi need to bring a dessert to a neighborhood get together. I need to make on in a couple of days. How long should I bake the cake in a 6 cup bundt cake pan? I want to make 2, 1 for a neighbor recovering from surgery and I for us.
Barbara Schieving
Hi Delilah – How fun that it’s become a neighborhood favorite. I love making 6 cup bundts and keeping one and sharing one. Bake half-size (6 cups) Bundts for 50–55 minutes.
Khrisna Morgan
I loved this recipe!! My cake came out amazing!! It tasted so good everyone loved it! It wasn’t to sweet the glaze was great! I added some grated lime peel to the glaze and it added a good flavor I loved it!!
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Khrisna! So glad it was a hit. Sounds like a delicious addition.